Nataraja (/ n̪əʈəɾɑd͡ʒᵊ / , Sanskrit: नटराज, IAST: Naṭarāja; Tamil: நடராஜர், Naṭarājar), also known as Adalvallan (ஆடல்வல்லான், Ādalvallāṉ), [2] is a depiction of Shiva, one of the main deities in Hinduism, as the divine cosmic dancer.

Sep 8, 2015 · The great Hindu god Shiva has many guises and many representations in art, but perhaps the most familiar is as a dancing figure within a circle of fire, that is as Shiva Nataraja, Lord of the Dance.

Mar 4, 2025 · Nataraja, the Hindu god Shiva in his form as the cosmic dancer, represented in metal or stone in many Shaivite temples, particularly in South India.

Discover the significance, symbolism, worship, and cosmic dance of the Lord Shiva, Nataraja, Shiva's iconic dancing form, in art, culture, and spirituality.

As a symbol, Shiva Nataraja is a brilliant invention. It combines in a single image Shiva's roles as creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe and conveys the Indian conception of the never-ending cycle of time.

The central religious story behind Nataraja takes place in the Tillai forest of Chidambaram, described in the songs of seventh-century poet-saints as the setting for a variety of divine and demonic activities.

Nov 24, 2024 · The Nataraja sculpture is one of the most iconic representations of Lord Shiva in Hindu art, celebrated not only for its religious and mythological significance but also for its profound artistic mastery. Depicting Shiva as the cosmic dancer, the Nataraja statue is an embodiment of both the divine and the cosmic order. ...

When the French sculptor Auguste Rodin saw some photographs of the 11th century bronze Shiva Nataraja in the Madras Museum around 1915, he wrote that it seemed to him the “perfect expression of rhythmic movement in the world.”

Shiva Nataraja, often referred to as the “Lord of the Dance,” is one of the most iconic and profound representations of Lord Shiva, a principal deity in Hinduism. This depiction, deeply symbolic and rich in cultural significance, portrays Shiva performing the Tandava—a cosmic dance that embodies creation, preservation, and destruction.

Sep 7, 2018 · Nataraja or Nataraj, the dancing form of Lord Shiva, is a symbolic synthesis of the most important aspects of Hinduism, and the summary of the central tenets of this Vedic religion. The term 'Nataraj' means 'King of Dancers' (Sanskrit nata = dance; raja = king).